Whether you shop out of necessity or because you enjoy it, you can probably do it better with our Online Shopping Web Guide. Find a pair of shoes exactly like the ones your favorite celebrity was wearing, locate one-of-a-kind craft items or bid on that baseball card you never got as a kid, all from the comfort of your home. The Web is fully stocked with brand-name retail shops, price- and product-comparison sites, and discounters that can save you money. Before you decide to brave the crowds at the mall, read the findingDulcinea Online Shopping Web Guide and let the Internet do the legwork for you.

At online auctions (like eBay.com), buyers bid and win items or, in some cases, can choose to purchase at the “buy it now” price. Online classifieds (like craigslist) function the same way as the classifieds in the local paper. Online auctions and classifieds are great ways to get inexpensive, used or rare items, but both have limited selections.

Avoid shipping costs by shopping via online classifieds in your area and picking up your purchase from a local seller.

Online classifieds and auctions require a lot of browsing time and need to be checked often for new listings. For greater ease and peace of mind, sign up for e-mail updates that let you know about new items or that tell you if you’re losing an auction. Or download widgets that will keep you posted on auction status (for example, the eBay Auction Countdown Timer).

If you’re interested in selling your own products using online auctions or classifieds, learn the basics or refine your current techniques in the findingDulcinea Selling Web Guide.

Gumshoo
is an easier way to shop the listings on eBay. It searches eBay auctions for you but has cleaner pages than eBay, weeds out junk listings (things like scams and product accessories, for example), and searches for typos in seller listings. Gumshoo sorts results by the auction that is ending soonest. It also alerts you to any suspicious listings or sellers.

uBid.com
offers brand-name items at wholesale prices. Especially helpful for new online shoppers, the site features a short tutorial that shows you how to browse online auctions, search for items and place a bid.

Oodle
browses local newspapers and Web sites for classified ads by keyword. The site includes typical classified sources (the papers) and a few Internet-only sources. Sort results by date to get the most relevant deals, or sign up for Oodle Alerts to be notified immediately when your item is available.

Craigslist
is organized by geographic area and lists all kinds of used items for sale (or occasionally, barter) as well as apartments for rent, job listings, ride share, personal ads and almost anything else.